Advertising device



July 3, 1923. i 1.460.619

H. W. SUMNER ADVERTISING DEVICE July 3, 1923.

H. W. SUMNER ADVERTISING DEVICE Original Filed March 19 ).921

4 SheeLs-Sheet 2 #W2/y W 50M/Pff Mouw LA H.W.SUMNER ADVERTISING DEVICEJuly 3, 1923. 1,460.619

Original Filed March 19. 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented July 3, 1923.

; UNi'TEn---s'r -ATES HENRY w. sUMNER, -oE SEATTLE, WASHINGTQN.

. ADvEETIsING DEVICE.

ppiicationied March 19,192'1, 4seriai No. 453,643. aeeweiifnafen `1,i923.;

T0 all whom it camera Y B e it known that I, HENRY W. SUMNER, a

citizen "ofthe vUnited z States, residing at- Seattle, in the 'countyofKingandState of lWashington, have invented va certain' `ne' w yanduseful Improvementin Advertising Devices,v of which the following isaspecifica tion. Y'

This invention relates to improvementsliii machines `for displayingadvertising matter and' the object of this improvement is to provideanautomatic -machine that is ar! ranged to receive a plurality of curtains0n which advertising matter is inscribed and to display the saidcurtains successively.

, Another object is to -construct a'mac'hine of this nature comprising arectangular frame having means at eachend for 'receiv-v ing and holdingal plurality of curtain rollers and having auto-matic `mechanism.

for successively engaging with orpicking up the said rollers atfthe endsofthe' frame atwhich they are normally held and carrying the same totheopposite en d lof the frame, to thereby unwind the curtainsfrom therollers and display the advertising matter thereon,` the outer end ofeach curtain be-4 ing secured to the frame and each curtainy beingprovided with a spring that always tends to keep the curtain woundupon-the'.

roller. l

A further object is to 'provide an advertising device of thisnature'having a transversely arranged traveller bar that` engages withand moves thecurtaiii rollers, the said traveller .bar being driven` byan endless cable, that is connected with the vtwooppo` site ends of thetraveller bar and moves the said two ends in the samedirection and atthe Vsame rate ofspeed at all times.l

A further object is tofprovide novel and eicient automatic -control andtiming mechanism thatis capable of a wide range of adjustments and thatrenders the machine suitable ,for use' iii combination with apparatusfor producing different lighting efects on the curtains.

A further object-is to provide a machine of this nature in whichcurtains of any thickness Aor lI ii'aterial maybe .used and one inwhich. the curtains are-always under tension exerted by'a `spring withinthe roller when they are beingjexhibitedthus automatically taking careofi any expansion or contraction of the curtains and preventing themfrom becoming. loose and baggy.

of the driving mechanism ple and eifici'entslow speedjpower transmis?ysion that willy run lfor .long periods'of time showing the'curtainrollersl in {their proper places but omitting 'the curtains.

Fig. 2 is a view Ain one Vside of the same.

. Fig'. 3 is a view in V"side elevation showing theopposite side of thesame.

4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in' cross sec-tion on brokenline 4 54- of Fig. l showing therollers with the curtansmo'unted thereon andshowing certain'partsfbroken away to better reveal ,theco'nstruction ofcertain other parts. Y is a view inlelevation of one end of a travelerbarfby'whicfh the l rollersar'el Picked 11p' other of the frame.

. Fig. 6 is afview showing thedevelopinent @fa Camembodied in the.machine.

side elevation showing V .'60 llZVith the above and other objectsinlview,y

and carried Afrom yonefelnd to' the- Fig.u Tlis a: fragmentaryViewpartly/ iii i section and partlyf in elevation'ofav spring roller.

F igf 8 "an: enlarged);

through thecable drumland'; driving 'mec'h'ai nism'therefor.

Fig. 9 isa View in elevation'showiiig parts pearfifremove'd fromtheirhousing'.

Fig. l() is a detail partly in elevation and partly in sectionshowingparts ofthe.

as they might Zapf locking mechanism'forthe cable drum'.

Fig. l1 is a fragmentary view ,in 'elevaf tion showing certain-lugs onlthe cable' drum between which a locking Ypawl is arranged to enter.

'Referring to'thedrawiiigs, Ijhave shown two Anormally uprightsidemembers 10 and ll that arerigidly 'supported spaced' apart relation byendsupports lQlfand 1 3in' such ya manner as to form 4a .rectangularframe.

`The lside members Y10 and llare prefer'V ably' of cast metalandareprovided near their two ends vwith oppositelyfdispbsed bearingsfor the Yreception of mangi/@psg shafts "124 and 15 upon which aresecured disksor plates 16 one of su-ch disks or plates being locatedadjacent to each end of each of the shafts and "just inside ofthe siderlof which display curtains 22 may be secured,

and tubularouter rollers 29 about which the curtains22 are wound'- thesaid curtains passing outwardly through slots 29 in the tubular outerrollers and the outer endsy of such ycurtains being secured toequidistantly spaced transverse rods 23 that extend' crosswise betweenthe two disks 16 on each of the shafts'14 and 15.

The rollers 21 are internally provided I with springsf2() that areconnected with rods 24 that project outwardly through the end members 18and have ratchetconnections with such end members as more ,clearly shown1n Fig. 7 whereby7 the springs are maintained under tension, the members18 being square in cross section to prevent them from turning in thenotches 17 y The side members 10 and 11 are each provided adjacent eachend and below the bearings of the shafts 14 and 15 with substantiallysemicircular guide flanges 25 that are located near the disks 16 andthat serve as guides to assist in preventing the end members 18 and 18ofthe rollers 21 from dropping out of the notches 17. The tension underwhich the curtains are-maintained by theirerespective springs also tendsto hold the end members 18 and 18 within the notches 17.

The side membersvlO and 11 are each further provided with longitudinallyextending guide slots 26 at the edges of which are formed inwardlyprojecting flanges 27. The guide slots 26 are arranged to slidablyreceive the ends 28 of a verticallyv movable traveller bar 8O thatextends crosswise of the display frame and is provided on the exteriorof each of they side frame pieces 10 and lllwith-pins 31 that preventendwise movement of such bar.

The end `portions 28 of the traveller bar 8O that fit between the guideflanges 27 are notched as at 32 for the reception of the outwardlyprojecting ends 18 and 18 of the curtain rods 207 while the extremeouter ends of such bar project avshort distance beyond the outersurfaces of the side mem bers 10 and 11 and are bifurcated as at 38 forthe reception of an endless cable 84.V The bar 30de adapted to have aplate 80 secured thereto as shown'in Figs. 1 and 4.

The cable 84 is wound several turns around a drum 35 so that when thedrum is rotated the cable will wind' upon the drum at the same rate ofspeed' at which it unwinds and will be driven over the several pulleysover which it passes without change of length.

' The path of the cable 34 may be traced as follows: starting from thedrum 35, thence downwardly around a pulley^36, thence upwardly throughthe bifurcated end 33 of the bar 30 to which the" 'cable is rigidlysecuredfthence successively over twopulleys 37 and 38, across thedisplay frame and around a pulley 40, on the' framemember 11, thencedownwardly around a pulley 41, thence upwardly throughthe bifurcated end33 of the cross bar 30; thence over two other pulleys 42 and 43, thenceacross the display frame and over a pulley 44 and thence downwardly tothe drum 35', the arrangement being such that when' the cableY is movedthe two portions to whichV thev oppo sitey ends of the bar 30 aresecured will always move in the same direction and vat the. saine'l rateof speed thereby moving the bar 30 lengthwise of the frame and at thesame timealways keeping such bar at right angles to the sidemembers 10and 11 so that it will'move smoothly and evenly and'v will not catch orbind.

The drum is mounted 'for rotation on a bearing stud 45, see Fig. 8,andis rigidlyr connected with a bevel gear 46 that meshes with twovother bevel gears 47 and 48 having integrally formed sleeves'50 that arejournaled .ina bearing bracket 51 and that harek a driven'shaft 52extending axially therethrough, the driven shaftl'ieing free to rotatewithin the sleeves 50 without turning the bevel gears. i

The bottom end of the shaft 52 is connected by bevelgears 58 with ashortltransverse shaft 54 having a worm wheel 55 that meshes with a worm56 on the shaft 57 ofi a motor 57. i

' rl`he sleeves 50 are each provide-d on their outer end witha yiange`58to which is se cured a clutch plate 59 having a lug 60 thatV projectsoutwardly therefrom. The lugs 60 lUO llt)

are adapted to' be engagedl by' Otherlugs61y on the end of the shiftercollars 62 that are integral with sleeves63 that vare movable lengthwiseyof the shaft 52 and are connected with such shaft by pins 64 thatproject outwardly through: slots 65 in the sleeves.

The sleeves 68 are moved by shifter arms 66 that enga-ge at one end withthe shifter collars 62 and are medially fulcrumed on brackets 68 thatproject outwardly 'from the bearings 51. The outer ends 'of the shifterarms 66 are provided with rollers 69 that engage within cam slots 70 incam members 71 that are mounted on a vertical shaft 72.

The shaft 72 isv driven meansof a worm 78 that meshes with another worm74 on the motor driven shaft 54.

lit)

'Vide-d with saugte 75 having lugsl 'zev that '85 havingV a shank 86that is slidable'rin a are arranged'to engage with other lugs 77 on .theends of worms 78 that mesh with worm wheels 479 on 1 the endsV of theytransverse shafts Hand 15. l

l The shafts 14 and 'l5 areprovided on the endsoppositethe worm wheels 79 with star A wheels 80 of a form more clearly shown in F ig. 3 that areyieldingly'engagedby pins 8l on the ends of arms 82 that are secured' bypivots 83 to the frame member l1 and are yheld in engagement with thestarwheels by compression springs 84. y

l.The pulley '41,.1Figsl andl 3, over 'which the cable 34 passes'isjournaled in a bracket rigid support 87 on'the frame and that has thebracket l851 andfsupport 8 cable 34 taut at all times and to permit thecablev to yield slightlyV in 'case the clutch through which the cabledrum is driven isk not disconnected at' the exact instant that thetraveller bar reaches the Ylimit vofv its upward ordownwardmovei'nent.ln

'x When thel drum is not Vbeing rotated itis locked in a fixed positionby'a locking lever 90'that is lixedly'mounted on ,a vertical shaft 91Vand is adapted "tofprotrude between two lugs'QQon .the rear side ofthedrum 35.

The 'lever 90 is urged into engagement withl the drum 35 by a torsionspring 93 on the shaft 91 and is `moved aw'ay from the drum into 'the.position shown 4in Fig. `10 by a v double'cam 94 that is mounted on theshaft t 72 and is arranged vto' engage with a cam lever 95 on the shaft91. The shaft 291`- is journaled in brackets, 96 that also formbearingsl for thewshaft'Q. v

YThe shaft), necessarily rotates at a com# paratively slow rate of'lspeed while they `traveller bar30 makes one complete excur-l sion andthe. drum 35'is locked and unlQcked twice duringeach Icompleterevolution of` such'shaft.. l'

one of the notches 17in each of the disks'l' will always be in linewiththe slots 26 vin the upright frame members and as theftravellerbar-carryingthe curtain rollersap` l roller. that hasbeen held within thetravellerbar willr be removed thereiromjandire-v placed bythe nextadjacentv roller in they magazine.-

l stheftraveler bar 3A0 Amoves'l,between*the twoends ofthe frame thecurtain fromone of the rollers that is heldfthereinv will"alwaysv belunrolling while the. curtain from` the other roller will always v"bel:rolling upv 'bi1-t' the rollers will be hidden `bythe bar '30"ito''suoli-ttt extent that' itwnib datent festif observer" to 'seewhe're`the curtain; th-atis being rolled up goesfto;or 'where'7.the'unlrolling `curtain comes from vthus' y lending an The-:facththat thecurtains themselves do not 'move andthat" all Aadvertising matterfv thatisxeXposed to view remains stationary makes the device more mysteriousand-at-k tractive and makes A'it easier?.v lto 'read' thevr tainsthemselvesl moved.

printedmatter than lit :wouldfbe the 'cur-y The entire'machine ispreferablyenclosedk within yan ornamental housing notl lshown Vthat isprovided with a suitable'sight openj'- l 'ing thr'iough'which` the:curtains mayj-,bez

to keep the' viewed.

' The machine these machines/:may be designed to receive and displayeither'y more or less thanl that v .number of curtains. i 1f.

In operation'the-'several parts ofthe machine areproperlyadjustedandftinied'andl thegrollers vwith vthe curtains woundfthereonj y n andthe ends Vof suchv curtains sec'uredtolthef' rods23 areplacedfin' themachine, prefer" notchesf' `32 infthe ends of the bar' 305.; f f

ably with :two of the rollers in the '5 Thev shape of the camcslotsl()determines' l!" thenovenientsfof ythe traveller?V bar l3A0 and the.'periods of rest of 'such bar at "the top andv bottom ofthe frame fandvalso. 'determinesthej movements ofthe shafts 14 andglv which"4 v. l .ctogetherv 'with thedisks '116` constitute Vthe V'magazines 'thatcarrythe'rollers and it is obvious that many vari-ations inxt'heshape ofthesecamy slots"fin'ay be .made {,to secure tto l they proper sequenceand.,timingojf vaf;

rious movements.'

Y In OthefdrawingsI have'shownj duplicate':- cams which are z,designed'ffto secure aseup. Y yquence y'of'fmovements that has-beenfound A.When the magazines are notin motion i' very satisfactory` inthe*operation*.of'mae vchin'e's of this nature.- y'Refe'rr'ingltol Fig.6 ifw'e vassume that the traveller v30 is at the lowermost4 limit :pcfAits .movement'f'and' the roller 69; onthe lower lever armY 66 has beentraveling in thestrtti-ghtprtion 7L. of.

the Vcamy 'slot'y and has Vjust reachedzithe linlclinedl portion a insuch canin slot then the" sequence ofoperationswill,l be as follows.'

The movement impartedfto-1the lever'armz bythe inclined portion a' ofthec'anifislt willl move the lower clutch yelement ,76 into .en-

gagement with the clutjchf 'element 77'onfthe worm 78andwhile'therollerGQ isjtravel'ling in the'camsec'tion 'Z9 the 'worniZSwill turn the shaft ll5'ffar enough ytoj-remove oneroller from thenotchesBQ in'fthe"travelerfbarafnd bringthe nextffroller' intovregistration .ivith such notches. lThe movement f imparted i lby gear 47which will in turn, rotate the drum 35 and cause the traveler bar 30 tobe moved from its lowermost to its uppermost position while the roller69 is in the straight section f of the cam. slot. As the traveler barapproaches the uppermost position the f roller 69 will pass into theinclined section g of the slot and the clutch member 6l will bedisconnected from the clutch member just as the traveler bar reaches thelimit of its upward movement, the roller 69 then passing into thestraight slot section 7L. in which position the clutches at both ends ofthe sleeve 63` will be disengaged.4 y

During `the sequence of operations just above described the roller G9 ofthe uppermost cam lever has been, traveling in the straight sloth 7L ofits cam and the clutches on the uppermost sleeve 63 have been in aneutral position but during the time that the roller G9 on the lowermostcam lever is traveling in the straight section I. of its cam slot theroller 69 on the uppermost cam lever will pass successively through thecam slot sections-a, Z), c, d, c, f and g of its cam thus successivelycausing the uppermost clutches 7 5 and 76 to be engaged, the uppermagazine to be advanced from one position to the next succeedingposition, Athe uppermost clutches. '75 and v76 to be disengaged, theclutch 6l on the uppermost sleeve to be engaged with the Aclutch 6() onthe' sleeveof the gearwheel 48 the-,drum to be rotated to move thetraveler bar downwardly to its lowermost position and the uppermostclutch members Gl and GO to be disengaged.

The positions of the upper and lower cam members 7l are necessarily.reversedA with respect to each other.

From the above description it is apparent that while the various partsthatare controlled by one cam are rperforming a series of operationstheparts that areqcontrolled by the other cam are in a neutral position andvice versa and itis also apparent that by varying the shape anddimensions of the various portions of the cam slot the sequence andtimingof the several ,operations may be varied. f n

The shaft 72 whichis the shaft that controls the movements of thevarious parts is driven ata very slow rate of speed while thev shaft 52which is the shaft that transmits the power necessary to perform thevariousmovements is also driven at a relatively slow rate of speed butrotates considerably faster thank the shaft 72.

From thel foregoing description taken in connection with theaccompanying draw-y ings the form ofr construction' and method ofoperation of this advertising device will be readily apparent, but,while I have desaid magazines y a dis )la f curtain arranved to wind oneach of said spring rollers', one end of eachv display curtain beingsecured to its roller and theoth'er. end beingA secured to the magazine,a traveler bar disposed transversely of said frame and movablelengthwise thereof and arranged to successively pick up the rollers anddisplay the curtains by moving the rollers away from the magazines andthen returning'A thensaid'grollers to the magazines, and an endlessdriven cabley connected with both ends ofsaid traveler bar for movingthesame.V

2. AL device of the class describedI comprising an upright frame, aroller receivingy magazinev at. each end of saidl frame, spring rollersarranged towbe removablyheld by' said magazines, a display curtainarranged: to wind on eachnof said springrollers, one" endof each displaycurtain being secured" to its roller and the other end being secured to`the magazine, roller 'carryingmeans inolvable between said two magazinesforl automatically engaging said rollers ltofwithdravvv them from vandreturn them to' the said magazines, an endless cable connectedwith saidroller` carryingdevices at both sides of said frame, means on one sideof said frame for driving said cable, automatic timingde# vices for saidcable ydriving means' 4and means connectedwith said automatic timingdevices ,for intermittently movingfsaid' magazines. L

3,. A' device `of the class describedjcomprising an upright frame, aroller receiving magazine at each end of said frame, spring rollersarranged tobe removably held by said magazines, a display curtainarranged to wind on each of said spring rollers, one

end of each display curtain being secured to its roller and the otherend being secured to the magazine, a traveler bar for vengaging with therollers andr removing them from the magazines, an endless cableconnected with the ends of said traveler bar for moving the same, meansfor driving said cable, 1

means for advancing said magazines, l'and automatic timing 'devicescontrolling the "movements 'of'- said tra'fveler'fbarnand sai'd a.. Adevicefef- @the dass aesepibed Ceinprisinga frame having two-uprightfside l members that "arei'provided with longitudinally arranged'-eslots,`a` roller..l :receiving -magazine disposed at each fend-Vi ofsaid 'disks disposedV iiearthe'l respective-,side members and havingperipheral notcheslthatregister with said. slots, v1spring`rollers:,ihaving.

bearing'members arranged to fit'within the notches?v ini.saidf'disk's-,l a traveler bar extending .crosswise of said frame'` andguided for movement Within said slots, said traveler shaft near each ofsaid side members, saidy disks having radially arranged peripheralnotches that register with the slots in said side members, rollershaving bearing members arranged to iit in said notches and means movablein said slots for engaging with said bea-ring members and removing saidrollers from said disks. i i

6. A device of the `class described comprising an upright frame, aroller receiving magazine at each `end of said frame, spring rollersarranged .to be removably held by said magazines, a display curtainarranged to wind on each of said spring rollers Vsaid curtains eachhaving kone vend secured to its roller and the other end secured to itsmagazine, rollery transporting means arranged to engage with the rollersin saidmagazines and withdraw the same' from the magazines to displaysaid curtains, a. driving member at one side of theframe for advancingsaid" 'magazines, an endless cable propelled byV said driving memberformoving'said roller transporting means'andv atiming member connected withsaid driving member for controlling the movements kof said rollertransporting means and said magazines.

7 A- device of the class described comprising a frame, a rollerreceiving magazinel at each end of said frame, roller transportingydevices -movable'between said magazines,

`a power shaft arranged at'one side of said frame, releasabletransmission Vmeans yconnecting said-power shaft and'said magazines7other releasable transmission means connecting said power shaft and saidroller transporting devices, a timing. shaft adjacent said power shaftand cam operated means connected with saidltiming shaft for controllingroller receiving'- magazinerotatably mounted adj acenty I each: `endzrofsaid; frame-,fi a ld-rivenf power ;is'liaft.;, arranged a-tHones,ideof-said frame, vvorfmVv gearr .transmissions i ,collleijllg:

-' saidsha-ft .andfsaidfiiiagazinea 'clutches -iny 1 terpose'dbetweennsaidfshaft .and said Iworm -gear'sg aai- ,traveler Ibar? movableverticallyl of said frame, a cableconnected with opposite',

ends of said traveler bar fork moving`.' the ing arranged so that thetwo portions of said the; releasableA -transmissiony ,means between jsaid :magazines `andi said powershafty andg'bef A tween" l'saidg :rollertransporting :means-and -said:.powerSliaitpi- -x ,I'; f; y 589A Ldeviceof. the y .class describedxcoinrvpiising an .upright-rectangular',framea *.same, sheaves for said* cable said sheavesbe- 7 cable that aresecured to said traveler ybar *will always .move inthe same directionland at the same rate of speech'a drum whereon vsaid lcable,V is wound,reversible gear mech-v anism' connected with said drum, clutchesinterposed between said reversible gear mechanism and said drivenpowervshaft, va driven vtiming'shaft,` cams `on'said timing shaftandmcans governed by said cams for actuating said clutches toadvancesaid magazines and move said traveler bar.

9. A device of the class described coinprising a rectangularframehaviiig upright side members provided-with longitudinallyVextending slots, a traveler bar extending crosswise of said frameandguided formovementY within said slots` a winding drum,l means fordrivingsaid winding drum, a cable wound about said drum 4and arrangedtobe driven bythe y turning of. said drum,f

the length of saidcable remainingconstant, and lsheavesfor said cablesaid sheaves being v arranged 'so' that said cable extends parallelwithsaid slots, vthe said cable being secured to the ends of said'.traveler'bar andv being arranged i to 'move in the same 'direc- 'i tionand atthesame rate of speed on'both sides of said frame. i

10. Adevice ofthe class described .com- I prising a rectangular framehaving upright side membersyroller carrying means guided for movementlengthwise of said side members, a winding drum,.reversible gearmechanism'forrotating' said drum; a plurality ofl l sheaves journaled onsaidframe, an yendless cable belt passing over said sheaves and aroundsaid drum and arranged -to be driven by rotation of said drum the saidcable eir-`-` tendingjalong both sides of said frame 'and v beingsecured on both sides to' saidroller carrying'meansand being arranged,t0 movev in the same direction and `atthe same rate of speedonbothsides and resilient spring of'said cable'belt. t v v p11.A'deviceof the class .described com-v devices connected with one of saidsheaves to l permit the same to 'e'spond to the tension 105 lengthwisealong each side of saidframeff iso"v prising areotangul'ar framehavin'gupright side members provided with longitudinal slots, a travelerbar ymovable in said slots, a roller receiving magazine rotatablymounted adjacentfeach 'end of said frame andarra-nged to deliver rollersto said travelerbar yand receive rollers from said traveler bar, a

power shaft, transmission meansinterpo'sed between said power shaft andsaid magazines, said vtransmission means'fi'ncluding clutches, a timingshaft, means connected with said timing shaft Jfor controlling Isaidyclutches,'sheaves mounted'for rotation on 'said frame, a cable beltarranged to pass over said sheaves and secured to the two ends of saidtraveler bar, a drum for driving said cable belt, reversible meansconnected with said power shaft for rotating Said drum, devicesconnectedwith said timing shaft for governing said reversible `drumrotating 'means, means for locking said drum andy devices connected withsaid timing shaft for governing said vlocking devices.

Seattle, lfVashington7 January 18th, 192i. HENRY W. SUMNER. i

